Viva White Oak developer aims for groundbreaking this fall

Developer discusses potential retailers in negotiations for county’s next large, mixed-use development

July 14, 2026 11:22 a.m.

Rendering of full Viva White Oak development site. Photo credit: Courtesy of MCB Real Estate

The Baltimore-based developers behind the 280-acre Viva White Oak development in eastern Montgomery County hope to break ground on the mixed-use project as soon as this fall, according to MCB Real Estate Senior Vice President and Project Executive Theresa Stegman.

In an interview on Thursday with Bethesda Today, Stegman said that the next steps for the project include a public hearing at the Montgomery County Council on Tuesday afternoon regarding a proposal to issue county bonds to the developer.

The bond authorization is a “really critical piece” for the project to move forward, Stegman said.

According to a council staff report, with the bond authorization, MCB Real Estate could receive up to $420 million in county bonds for the project. These bonds are intended to support the construction of public infrastructure needed for the development, such as new water mains, sewer lines and roads.

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In late February, when the council voted to create a special development district for Viva White Oak, Montgomery County Executive Marc Elrich said that the infrastructure funded by the proposed financing plan would help unlock future economic growth in the White Oak area.

“East County has waited a long time for this moment,” Elrich said in February. “I’m proud of the work we’ve done together, and I look forward to seeing shovels in the ground and this vision becoming reality.”

A sign advertising public hearings on the Viva White Oak site plan. Photo credit: Ashlyn Campbell

The special development district allowed the county to enter into its first tax increment financing agreement with MCB Real Estate. Through a tax increment financing plan, property tax revenues generated by a project within a set period can be awarded back to the developer in the form of bonds to support the construction of the required public infrastructure. The bond authorization is the last step in executing the agreement.

On July 23 there will be a work session on the bond authorization with the council’s Economic Development Committee and the Government and Operations and Fiscal Policy Committee, according to the council’s agenda. After the work session, the council is expected to vote on the bond authorization.

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If the council votes on the authorization before August recess, the project will remain on track for a fall groundbreaking, according to Stegman.

Viva White Oak is planned near the U.S. Food and Drug Administration’s White Oak campus at 10903 New Hampshire Ave. The long-anticipated project, previously called LifeSci Village, is expected to add 12.1 million square feet of commercial, residential, retail and public space, including nearly 5,000 residential units, to the eastern part of the county when complete.

Developers and local leaders are positioning Viva White Oak as not only a place for east county residents to gather and recreate but also as a future hub for business and life sciences. The area has long been regarded as underinvested and neglected when compared to the wealthier, western areas of the county.

Councilmember Kristin Mink (D-Dist. 5), whose district includes White Oak, said in February that the public-private partnership behind the development is one step toward correcting the area’s underinvestment. Mink added that the development would be “not just a jewel in the crown of East County, but in Montgomery County as a whole.”

In March, MCB announced that Costco Wholesale would be an anchor tenant of Viva White Oak. Since then, MCB has been in talks with more retailers interested in opening in the development’s town center, Stegman said. More retail announcements are expected soon.

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Rendering of the Costco Wholesale space in the Viva White Oak development. Photo credit: Courtesy of MCB Real Estate

Stegman noted that securing Costco was “huge” for the project. “I don’t think it’s an understatement to say that they really gave a lot of proof of concept to the development and have helped with retail attraction,” she said.

In addition to Costco, the development is expected to be home to a “popular national organic grocer,” and several other large retailers including a bookseller, several clothing stores and a fitness tenant, Stegman said Thursday.

“The idea is we’re building a town center where you know you can go work out, get your groceries, also do some shopping,” Stegman said. “Once those anchors are announced, we’re also going after the food and beverage uses. We’re looking at both national and regional [eateries]. And as much as we can, we’re trying to also look at local operators.”

Names of retailers will be announced after leases are finalized, Stegman added.

Groundbreaking

After securing bonds, developers will begin site work on the 280 acres of land, much of which was a mining site and is currently used as a sand and gravel lot, according to Stegman. When site work starts, the land will need to be excavated and leveled, and soil will be tested for chemicals and rehabilitated.

Stegman estimated that the initial site work and environmental cleanup portion could take about a year. Following that work, developers will begin constructing the development’s roads, which could take another year, according to Stegman. Constructing the roads also includes installing underground utilities, such as electricity, sewer lines and water mains.

“It’s two years of a lot of dirt and pipes,” Stegman said. “You won’t see buildings go up right away.”

After the site work and infrastructure are complete, construction on buildings will begin and is expected to take place in two phases, Stegman said.

The first phase will include building the Costco, a 400-unit apartment building, a town center with retail, an anchor grocery store and townhomes, according to Stegman. Phase one is expected to be completed by 2033.

The town center is expected to include a one-acre civic green space, according to Stegman, that could host community events and activities such as outdoor movie nights, concerts and farmers markets. She noted that during a June 30 meeting about the project, community members said they were also interested in an ice rink for the colder months.

Rendering of civic green space and restaurant plaza in Viva White Oak development. Photo credit: Courtesy of MCB Real Estate
Rendering of restaurant plaza in Viva White Oak development. Photo credit: Courtesy of MCB Real Estate
Rendering of restaurant and retail space in Viva White Oak development. Photo credit: Courtesy of MCB Real Estate
Rendering of grocery store building in Viva White Oak development. Photo credit: Courtesy of MCB Real Estate

Phase two of construction is expected to include an “innovation campus” targeting life science technology companies, Stegman said. MCB is recruiting tenants in the industry and said once the first phase is complete, developers believe recruitment of such life sciences companies will “really take off.”

“When they’re looking where to locate their companies, they want to be near amenities, they want to be near housing,” Stegman said. “That’s part of the thesis and the thought process with Viva White Oak.”

“We want to make sure that we’re building that good foundation so that when the life science market does come back around — because right now it is at a low point in the market cycle — we are really well positioned to attract a big user and a big employer,” she added.

In developing the plans for Viva White Oak, Stegman said MCB took inspiration from other regional mixed-use developments such as Pike & Rose in North Bethesda. She also noted that The Rotunda, an MCB property in Baltimore, is another inspiration.

“We look at those larger mixed-use developments where they feel vibrant, they feel active,” Stegman said. “We’re really excited about this because this is the first big investment that’s mixed-use of this scale in East County.”

The project is expected to generate more than 17,000 construction jobs, 9,000 permanent jobs, and an estimated $62 million in annual revenue for the county, according to MCB Real Estate. The first phase of the project is estimated to generate $33 million in annual revenue for the county.

Funding for the project, expected to reach full buildout by 2043, also includes an estimated $2.8 billion in private investment and a $4 million grant from the Maryland Department of Housing and Community Development.

Bethesda Today reporter Ceoli Jacoby contributed to this story.

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Originally published at Bethesdamagazine